Last year, one of the stops on our Branson vacation was a visit to that town's Ripley's Odditorium. This tour was something I insisted we do. It's the fourth Ripley's museum I've visited (after Dallas, San Antonio, and Gatlinburg). I just love them. I love weirdness. The one in Branson is a bit more politically correct than I remember the others being, but then more than 15 years had passed since my visit to Gatlinburg. Perhaps they have all changed through the years...

The Ripley's Odditorium in Branson, Missouri.

We have an exciting vacation coming up in less than three weeks, but we thought it might be fun to relive a bit of last year's in this book. It really is a blast to curl up together and explore all the weird facts, pictures,and stunts in the pages.

Comments

GET OUT OF TOWN!!!!!!!!! I loved all things Ripley related so much when I was younger. Oh how I loved it. I swear, you have a psychic connection to my brain. How fun! :) Ok where's Branson? I think you are living right on the hub of coolness, there are so many neat things around you!

I have to admit, I kinda missed seeing the little odes to cast members from the movie Freaks that I saw at the other museums. I wonder if they've done away with all the stuff like that. I wouldn't be surprised, but I do have a soft spot for Johnny Eck and Prince Randian.

Branson's a good 5 hours away by car, in the Missouri Ozarks. It was my first time there, although my husband is originally from Joplin, MO, and had been there quite a few times. (It was while on the way to Branson that we stopped at the Little House on the Prairie museum in Independence, KS, and from Branson, we traveled east to Mansfield, to see Laura and Almanzo's Rocky Ridge Farm.) Most of Branson is taken over by the rather tacky strip, with theatres and restaurants and touristy attractions. We were there only a few months after a tornado hit the strip, and there was still a lot of damage. The famous Andy Williams Theatre was still closed, for example. I really wasn't interested in much of the entertainment, but we did see Cirque Montage and we visited the Odditorium. Otherwise, we visited the old section of town, away from the strip, or places outside of town. And Silver Dollar City, the big theme park, of course.

That said, Mr. B and I did want to take up the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre's offer of lunch with Barry Williams. I mean, the kitsch factor! Greg Brady at the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre???? How perfect is that???

I have never heard of this book before. And what an incredible looking museum! Thanks for sharing photos and links. I think this will definitely impress my boy (who usually don't like my taste in books LOL).

If you hunt around on YouTube, you may also find episodes of the 1980s TV series. There's also a more recent cable series hosted by Dean Cain. There are a lot of Ripley's books out there. A hint: Barnes & Noble often has them on sale before and after Christmas.

Disclaimer & Stuff:

All opinions expressed on this blog are my own. I post links to things I like and want to share with my readers, but I make no money from my blog. It is just a hobby of mine. I do receive the occasional freebie from a publisher. When I review the item, I do express this in the post. If and when any of this changes, I will let you know!

I am so not a photographer, and I'm really not much of a writer. I am an enthusiastic sharer of things I love. That is all.

Photos and words are my property, unless stated otherwise. Please do not steal. Please link back and credit me properly. It's the right thing to do.